Amnesty International said on Wednesday Russian authorities were arresting and harassing critics such as opposition leader Garry Kasparov to silence them in the run-up to the December 2 parliamentary elections.

Turkey’s prime minister said on Friday his cabinet had authorized the armed forces to conduct a cross-border operation against Kurdish PKK rebels in northern Iraq, but analysts said major action did not appear imminent.

A Syriac Christian priest kidnapped this week in southeast Turkey was released unharmed on Friday.“The priest was released in good condition…,” Batman province Deputy Governor Aziz Mercan told Reuters.